Which massage should you get?
Which massage you should choose depends on your goal: sink into relaxation, addressing a complaint, of change a pattern.
I primarily use deep tissue in massage therapy and Rolfing SI sessions. See also my background article on deep tissue and myths.
Book a Relaxation Massage as:
- You primarily want your nervous system to calm down and your body as a whole to relax.
- You do not expect one problem area to be central for the majority of the session.
- You want a full-body massage (professional, non-erotic) with pace and pressure tailored to your preferences.
- For example: for stress, burnout symptoms, or connecting with your body.
Book Massage Therapy as:
- You have acute pain (short-term) or recurring symptoms (long-term).
- You want a targeted approach, including a simple plan.
- You prefer focusing on specific areas rather than full-body.
- For example: with lower back pain, a (chronic) stiff neck or shoulders, painful feet or knees, and focusing almost exclusively on those complaints.
- You are willing to examine your posture, movement, and habits.
- Pain (chronic or recurring) may be present, but you want to work on posture and organization.
- You are looking for lasting change, not a one-off fix.
Are you still unsure?
- Do you want full-body relaxation? Choose a relaxation massage.
- Does one complaint clearly dominate? Choose Massage Therapy.
- Do symptoms keep recurring or shift? Choose Rolfing for long-term improvement or Massage Therapy for targeted results.
Clarity in advance:
- By appointment only, no walk-ins.
- Book at least 6 p.m. in advance. Cancel until 24 hours in advance (emergencies per situation).
- Booked time is longer than the hands-on time (intake, changing clothes, integration).
Deeper: what is the difference that really matters?
Many people are overburdened and under-touched. Relaxation massage is safe, intentional touch that gives your system time to soften.
- Goal: sink, integrate, back to a foundation of calm.
- How: slower and holistic; responsive to what your body indicates.
- Not: a spa routine or “performance”; it is tailored bodywork.
- Limit: Due to time management, no prolonged, intensely targeted treatment of a single area.
Do you want clear and long-lasting focus on one area of complaint? Choose Massage Therapy.
When strain (stress, sitting, work, training, sleep) builds up, stiffness and discomfort emerge. Massage therapy is for when symptoms recur, or when there is one clear complaint to address.
- Goal: reduce symptoms, improve function, support recovery, clarify drivers.
- How: Targeted tissue work + body awareness + simple adjustments in load/recovery.
- System lens: Symptoms are often a consequence; we look for the cause or the pattern, not just the “loudest spot” of the pain.
- Typical fit: acute pain; long-term recurring complaints; desk/stress patterns.
Not a substitute for medical diagnosis. Not a diagnosis or treatment of disease.
3) Rolfing Structural Integration (attitude + habit patterns)
Structural work is for people who want to explore how posture, breath, feet/pelvis/ribs, and habits determine how the body feels. Pain can improve, but the primary goal is the pattern.
- Goal: change how the system organizes itself over time (movement, posture, load pathways).
- How: progressive sessions; hands-on work combined with mindfulness and movement experiments.
- Best for: curiosity + commitment; attitudinal goals; recurring, shifting complaints.
- Status: I currently conduct Structural Integration sessions. From late 2026, I expect to be a Rolfing practitioner and be formally authorized to conduct Rolfing Structural Integration sessions.
Contraindications (when to postpone or adjust)
- Recent injury (especially with acute inflammation) or recent surgery: the session may be postponed or adjusted.
- Fever, infection, contagious disease: postpone.
- Unexplained progressive neurological complaints, severe nocturnal pain, loss of strength, or concerning new symptoms: medical assessment first.
- Always share relevant medical context in advance; pressure and approach are tailored accordingly.
This is wellness/functional bodywork, not medical diagnosis or treatment of disease.